Important for GS Prelims- Security Forces & Agencies
About Indian Coast Guard
- Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is an independent Armed Force of India, constituted under the Coast Guard Act, 1978.
- Functions as an Armed Force, Search and Rescue agency, and Maritime Law Enforcement agency, operating under the Ministry of Defence.
- Ranked as the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world.
Key Facts about Indian Coast Guard
| Particular | Details |
| Established | August 1978, under the Coast Guard Act, 1978 |
| Raising Day | 1 February |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Nodal Ministry | Ministry of Defence |
| Origin Trigger | Conceived in the aftermath of the 1971 Indo-Pak War |
| Blueprint Committee | Rustamji Committee (envisioned a multidimensional Coast Guard) |
| Global Standing | 4th largest Coast Guard force worldwide |
| Administrative Structure | 5 Coast Guard Regions: North-West (HQ Gandhinagar), West (HQ Mumbai), East (HQ Chennai), North-East (HQ Kolkata), Andaman & Nicobar (HQ Port Blair) |
Responsibilities of Indian Coast Guard
- Anti-Smuggling Role: Prevents smuggling through maritime routes; holds jurisdiction over India’s Territorial Waters, Contiguous Zone, and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
- Marine Environment Protection: Serves as the coordinating authority for response to oil spills in Indian maritime zones.
- Aid to Civil Authority: Has rescued approximately 13,000 personnel to date during calamity-relief operations, including recent floods in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa; coordinates with Central and State agencies to strengthen coastal security.
- Maritime Security & Diplomacy: Partners with littoral countries to counter transnational maritime crimes; operates within the framework of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Neighbourhood First policy, building maritime ties across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for Ocean Peacekeeping.
- Disaster Management: Recognised as the ‘First Responder’ in the region; conducted major fire-fighting and pollution-control operations abroad, e.g., ‘Sagar Aaraksha-II’ off the Sri Lanka coast involving the chemical carrier MV X-Press Pearl.
Conclusion
The Indian Coast Guard, established in August 1978 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978, is an independent Armed Force under the Ministry of Defence, structured into five regional commands, and mandated with maritime law enforcement, search-and-rescue, environmental protection, and regional maritime security functions.
| This concept has been elaborately discussed in the article Defence Minister Unveils Policy Reforms for ICG Personnel & Their Families |